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Friday, April 20, 2012

The Magic of Aloe Vera - Past and Present

The mystery of Cleopatra's beauty may, indeed, have been a
secret. It is said that she secretly used Aloe Vera Gel as an additive
in her beauty baths, and in making dyes for her hair and lips. Secret or
not, Cleopatra's use of the healing plant is one of the first records
of Aloe Vera Gel incorporation into cosmetics. And what that means is
that the magic of natural Aloe Vera was known at least as early as 69
B.C.! In fact, papyrus scrolls written 3500 years ago describe the Aloe
and its medicinal virtues. At the height of the Egyptian Empire,
subjects could attend the elaborate funeral of a Pharaoh by invitation
only. An individual's wealth - and esteem in which he help his Pharaoh
was measured by the amount of Aloe he brought as a gift to the funeral.
Aloe Gel was used in embalming procedures.
Historians have
recorded that it was Aristotle who persuaded Alexander the Great to
conquer the Island of Socotra (East Africa), and that he did so in order
to obtain sufficient quantities of Aloe to heal soldiers' wounds. Marco
Polo reported that he found the Chinese were using Aloe to treat
stomach ailments, as well as skin rashes and other skin disorders. In
the book, Adventure of Marco Polo, it is noted that the annual tribute was paid to the Grand Kahn in Aloes.
One
of three medical men voyaging with Christopher Columbus on his second
trip to America mentions Aloes as growing in Hispaniola in the ship's
log. Dr. Diego Alvarez Chance refers to the notation, "A species of
Aloes we doctors use." History also records that Aloe Vera was used as a
medicine as well as a cosmetic by Egyptians, Romans, Algerians,
Tunisians, Moroccans, Greeks, Arabs, Indians and Chinese.
Aloe
appears to have originated in South Africa, and then spread along the
Trade Routes into Egypt, across the Mediterranean and Red Sea, then into
Spain, East India, China, the West Indies, South America and finally to
the warm areas of the Western Hemisphere.
Spanish explorers to
the New World brought Aloe Vera to the Canary Islands, Jamaica, Aruba,
Haiti, Antigua, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia and other tropical regions. In
1956, Aloe was introduced into the Island of Barbados. Spanish
missionaries to the New World always planted Aloe around their
settlements, and carried it with them as comfort for the ill.
Seminole
Indians used the healing gel as a replacement for sutures in their
surgery. By applying raw Aloe gel to incisions, rapid healing would be
promoted with the process said to leave little or no scar tissue. In
Java, Aloe Gel was used to prevent formation of scars resulting from
skin irritations or wounds. It also was massaged into the scalp and hair
as a conditioner and to stimulate growth. More recently, Peruvian women
have used it to make an excellent hair dye.
South American
farmers take their Aloe plant with them as they move. Cubans have
manufactured a popular cold remedy from a combination of Aloe mixed with
sugar and rum. Mohammadens place such a value on the plant that the
believer who travels to Mecca hangs an Aloe leaf above his door as proof
that he made the pilgrimage. Other religious references note the growth
pattern of the Aloe - a rosette of three leaves emerging from the
center of the plant - is a sign in nature glorifying the Holy Trinity.
In the New Testament (John, 19:39), there is reference to Nicidemus' use
of a mixture of Myrrh and Aloe to embalm the body of Jesus; the Aloe
mentioned is believed to be Aloe Vera. Other biblical references to Aloe
are contained in Numbers, 24:6; Proverbs, 7:17; Song of Solomon, 4:14
and Psalm 45:8.
As civilizations moved north from the tropical and
sub-tropical regions of the world, the use of Aloe diminished somewhat.
Aloe does not thrive in the temperate zones, although it can be
cultivated as a houseplant. In fact, the best place for it may well be
in the kitchen. Aloes have tremendous usefulness in healing and soothing
surface burns and scalds. A portion of the leaf can be broken and the
gel immediately applied to a cut, or burn tending to relieve pain and
prevent blistering. Some people believe an Aloe Vera Plant to be an
appropriate gift for newlyweds.